Dental attachment



Nov. 30,1926. I 1,608,843 v l- J. DRESCH DENTAL ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 5. 1923 vwentoz 35% M M M affozucw p Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISRAEL JOHN DBESCH, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DBESCH LABORATORIES COM- PANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

DENTAL ATTACHMENT.

Application filed February My invention relates broadly to the science of odontology or dental surgery, but it more specifically comprehends a retaining device for an artificial denture or dental bridge designed as a substitute for masticators originally and normally embedded in the alveolar process.

One object of my invention is to produce a device, for anchoring a dental plate or bridge to the abutment teeth, so constructed as to securely maintain the plate in operative position, permitting such necessary movements of the denture during mastication as to insure perfect articulation, and also eliminating undue pressure on the abutment or anchorage teeth, thereby securing to the patient immunity from soreness or loss of the tooth to which the device is anchored.

Another object of this invention is to produce a device of the above character employing the principle of friction as a means of retention only, rather than as a means for securing necessary movement; and said device in the present instance being composed of three parts, two of which by frictional engagement afford retention, and the third by an indirect connection with the other two maintains such retention, while at the same time permitting all necessary movements of the dental plate required during mastication.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which will retain the dental bridge or plate in its normal position while at the same time permitting perpendicular, horizontal. lateral, and hinge movements, either singly or all combined at the same time, as the exigencies of the masticatory process might require.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described which will automatically allow adjustment of the denture in accordance with the change of the underlying tissue caused by shrinkage or otherwise.

Another important object is to produce a device of the character above described which while holding the denture in operative position at all times, may be expeditiously removed when desired.

Other objects are: to provide a device of the character described embodying a variety of movements, yet so constructed as to eliminate leverages on the abutment or an- 5, 1923. Serial No. 617,078.

chorage teeth when subjected to the power of mastication; provided with means for retaining the parts in proper position while preparing the dental plate so that the measurements of said plate may be more easily and accurately effected; capable of being stamped out of sheet metal or the like; susceptible of comparatively easy attachment to the anchorage teeth and to the dental plate; elfective for the purposes intended, yet simple in construction and manufacturable at a negligible cost.

WVith these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of references indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which:

Figure 1 is a view showing the invention as applied in practice;

Figure 2 is a view showing the component parts of the device disassembled;

Figure 3 is a view of the device with the parts in assembled position; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of Figure 8.

Many efforts have been made to perfect a device of this character which would not only retain the dental plate or bridge in position, but would allow certain movements of the plate during mastication without effecting a leverage force or stress on the anchorage or abutment tooth, but with more or less scant success. It is essential that the merits of the device be gauged by its re1ation with another such device fastened on the same dental plate. Practice has demonstrated in connection with many devices now in use that while one such retaining agent may allow rotation, when two such agents are used on the same dental plate, one will lock the other and prevent rotation. In the past a great majority of such retaining agents used in connection with dental plat-es have been based upon the same principle, that of having male and female members frictionally engaged and through said triction maintaining retention of the dental plate. As above stated, it has been the aim of these devices to afford eii'ective retention without the danger of stress on abutment teeth. However, it is apparent, that when the frictional engagement is such as to permit movements necessary to prevent stress on anchorage teeth, effective retention must be sacrificed. And by the same token, when the retention is effective, the movements of the dental plate necessary to relieve stress, are greatly minimized. Therefore, in order to overcome the deficiencies of the devices now in use, I have designed the device forming the subject-matter of this invention embodying novel features which permit the dental plate to move on any an le, perpendicular, horizontal, or lateral, and on the angle of a hinge, either separately or all three angles combined at the same time, and I emphasize, my device is the first to afford rigid retention and at the same time allow all necessary movements of the dental plate or bridge.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention, there is shown a male or anchoring member 1 substantially rectangular in shape and formed on one side with an upstanding longitudinally extending portion 2, the face of said portion being concaved throughout its length as at 3, and designed to be soldered to a gold crown, inlay, or other part, which rigidly engages the anchorage tooth, so that the edges 4 of the upstanding portion 2 run parallel with the long axis of the toot-h, the laterally extending flanges 5 being adapted for a purpose which will hereinaftermore fully appear.

The sleeve or female member 6 is stamped out of sheet metal and the extensions 7 are folded upwardly and inwardly, forming channels 8 which are adapted to receive and frictionally engage the flanges 5 of the an chor or male member 1 when it is slidably positioned therein, The sleeve member 6 is also fitted with a projecting ledge formed by curving or bending backward its lower extremity, as at 9, and is provided with a rectangular opening 10 spaced from its lower edge, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

The substantially cylindrical member 11 hereinafter referred to as the working piece or plate supporting member, is also fashioned out of sheet metal withlaterally extending cars 12 and with one end reduced to form the stem member 13 which is bent across the cylinder and is of sutiicient length to extend beyond the same. The ears 12 are brought upwardly to close the ends of the said cylindrical working piece and are-secured by soldering or welding, so that when the said piece is in normal position no foreign matter, such as food, may enter the interior of said piece. The said stem 13 before being secured across the cylinder is passed through the opening 10 in the sleeve member 6 and is soldered or otherwise secured firmly across the said cylinder, thereby locking the working piece to the sleeve. The stem 13 is somewhat smaller than the opening 10 so that though the working piece is incapable of complete disengagement from the sleeve member, yet is capable of a certain range of movement. The upstanding portion of said stem is provided with a threaded opening 14 designed, when properly positionech to register with opening 15 in the sleeve and to be firmly secured thereto by a small threaded bolt 16. When the sleeve member (3 and the working member 11 are thus locked together, the shoulder or ledge 17 of the sleeve piece contacts with the inner surface of the bottom of the working piece, as at 18. Locking the two pieces rigidly together ensures that the relationship of these members will be maintained during construction of the dental plate. This is important, because to the extent that surfaces 17 and 18 are separated, so will the dental plate be able to move away from the jaw when it is in operative position. After the dental plate has been completed said bolt is removed, thus permitting the working piece to properly function and allowing the dental plate the required range of movement during mastication.

The working piece is designed for attachment to the dental plate or bridge and may be secured thereto in any well known 7 manner, as for instance, being embedded in the dental plate, soldered thereto, embedded in vulcanite, or attached by means of a connecting wire, as desired.

It will be noted that my device is so constructed as to permit the denture or bridge to respond to the force of mastication, and upon the release of such force to assume its normal position; and likewise, that it will automatically adjust itself to changes of the underlying tissue occasioned by shrinkage or other causes.

It will be observed that when the device is operatively positioned between the dental plate or bridge and the anchorage tooth, the anchor member 1 will be securely and permanently attached to the anchorage tooth while the interlocked sleeve member 6 and working piece 11 will be permanently connected to the artificial denture or bridge, and though the frictional engagement of the anchor member 1 and the sleeve member 6 will be sufficient to retain the denture or bridge in operative position, it will allow the same to be readily removed and replaced as desired.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have designed a device for retaining in 0perative position an artificial denture or bridge andthough effectively retaining the said plate or bridge in position, permits its easy removal and replacement. In addition. it embodies a novel construction that will permit the plate or bridge during mastication to assume various angles of movement including horizontal, perpendicular, lateral, hinge, and a rocking movement, through the instrumentality of which the usual leverage on the anchorage tooth is eliminated, the life of the device correspondingly increased, and the elimination of the discomforture to the patient usually incident to the use 01 artificial dentures.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodilnent, is the most efiicient and practical yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, and without enumerating variations and equivalents, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims:

1. In a device of the character described comprising an anchor member, a sleeve member adjustable on the anchor member, a supporting member, one end of said sleeve member being curved outwardly and provided with an opening adapted to receive the reduced portion of the sup1')orting member to loosely lock the said supporting member to the sleeve member, thereby permitting the supporting member to move on various angles with respect to the sleeve member.

2. A device of the character described comprising a tooth member for rigid connection with a tooth or similar structure, and a denture member permanently affixed to an artificial denture or bridge for detachable connection with the tooth member and embodying two interlocking parts adapted for relative sliding movement, and means for temporarily holding the parts rigidly co:

nected.

I. J. DRESCH. 

